Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

““Can the papyrus grow up without mire?
    Can the rushes grow without water?
While it is yet in its greenness, not cut down,
    it withers before any other reed.
So are the paths of all who forget God.
    The hope of the godless man will perish,
whose confidence will break apart,
    whose trust is a spider’s web.
He will lean on his house, but it will not stand.
    He will cling to it, but it will not endure.
He is green before the sun.
    His shoots go out along his garden.
His roots are wrapped around the rock pile.
    He sees the place of stones.
If he is destroyed from his place,
    then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’
Behold, this is the joy of his way.
    Out of the earth, others will spring.
“Behold, God will not cast away a blameless man,
    neither will he uphold the evildoers.
He will still fill your mouth with laughter,
    your lips with shouting.
Those who hate you will be clothed with shame.
    The tent of the wicked will be no more.””
(Job 8:11-22)

“I am faint and severely bruised.
    I have groaned by reason of the anguish of my heart.
Lord, all my desire is before you.
    My groaning is not hidden from you.
My heart throbs.
    My strength fails me.
    As for the light of my eyes, it has also left me.
My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my plague.
    My kinsmen stand far away.
They also who seek after my life lay snares.
    Those who seek my hurt speak mischievous things,
    and meditate deceits all day long.
But I, as a deaf man, don’t hear.
    I am as a mute man who doesn’t open his mouth.
Yes, I am as a man who doesn’t hear,
    in whose mouth are no reproofs.
For I hope in you, Yahweh.
    You will answer, Lord my God.
For I said, “Don’t let them gloat over me,
    or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips.”“
(Psalm 38:8-16)

Job’s three friends all had the same idea. They had very religious thinking: God is righteous; he punishes sinners with calamity and blesses the righteous with prosperity. Therefore, since Job was experiencing calamity it must be brought on by God punishing Job for sins – that Job was refusing to admit to. Throughout the majority of the book of Job his friends get very violent and specific in their accusations, trying to brow beat Job into confession. They are so adamant about it, you wonder how Job’s enemies could do a better job of making him feel bad. They surround him, they don’t let up, and they are constant with their attacks against him and his protestations of innocence.

King David also felt the sting of people around him attacking him. Of people who wouldn’t let up. Of people who were trying to take him down. Some of them had been his very good friends. Others had been waiting in the wings for him to fall. He felt so isolated and alone, surrounded on all sides by calamities. Everyone had distanced themselves from him. But he didn’t despair. Instead, he focused on his hope. On the one thing he knew he could count on: God. He had a covenant with God and David refused to let that go. In spite of what he was feeling, he chose to continue to be dependant on God.

Summary

Job had done nothing wrong to deserve this attack in any way, shape, or form. God tells us that TWICE. Job’s issue is that since he knew he had done nothing wrong, he got self-righteous. David’s response is the correct one. He doesn’t try to justify himself. He doesn’t demand answers for this poor treatment from God. Instead he throws himself on God’s mercy. He speaks out his dependence on God and the fact that God is his only shelter. In times of trouble, we need to spend less time trying to figure out the WHY and more time placing and keeping ourselves in God’s hands. He will speak to us about it if we have done something wrong and guide us through repentance, correction, and the consequences. God will protect us and guide us through the situation when we aren’t at fault. God will take care of everything and let us know where to step and where not to step if we will only rely on Him from the get go. Whenever there is trouble, we should be running to Him and clinging to Him. He IS our shelter. He IS our high tower. He IS our hope. He is where we belong and there we should stay.